I had hardly caught my breath before the ear shattering explosion took it away again. I fall to the floor, covering my ears as an attempt to pull myself away from this reality. The disheveled bookshelf that hid my face reeked of some unfamiliar smell, which was soon covered with the heavy smoke expelled from the blast. I hear the screams and shouts of exclamation among the footfalls that race for the door. I have no idea why they’d want to run straight into danger. Whatever; if they want to meet death so badly, by all means. I keep to my bookshelf. I am too close to finding something about Calvin; there’s no way I’m leaving now. Just as I try to think of a way to escape, I hear barking and snarling. I tear myself away from my cowardice and stand on my feeble legs. Something compels me to run for the door. The voices of the guards are drowned in my pulse in my head.
The hallway is long and cold. When I finally reached the end of it, I stare down two skin-and-bones wolves continue to attack Malik, who appears to already be dead. Robert and Ian were frantic as they looked to each other for advice. I break the mood into a million pieces as a smile breaks it’s way onto my blistered face.
“Puppies!” The smile dampens down to a smirk as I bend down next to the bloodied corpse of Malik, the poor man. I pull some bacon and jerky out of my pack and hold it out to the skinny dogs.
“They’re just hungry…they’re scared…” tears fill my eyes as I sense the pain these animals have been put through.
I had a dog once. I loved it. It’s not fair, this world. Humans can do what they need to in order to survive. Lie, cheat, steal; animals? Not so much. They shouldn’t have to be punished for this filthy world. All they know is hostility. My two teammates and one of the guards were baffled that my little charisma trick worked. I smiled, content with my success. Finally, my team would see how useful I can really be.
“What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!” The guard screams at me. That’s okay. My kindnesses for these dogs are misunderstood and stupid to some. But I need this.
I look back at Robert and declare loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to startle my new companions, “Don’t…don’t shoot the dogs. I’m handling this. Please.” As I pay all attention to the dogs, I hear my party take off behind me, leaving me alone. A necessary sacrifice I think to myself, I’ll stall them, give them a head start.
I pull the rest of my jerky out and place it in a pile in front of the dogs as four heavily armed men storm their way into the building. “REPENT, OR DIE.” One with a scepter proclaims to me. Ignoring him, I pick ticks and burrs out of the dogs’ fur. Another one remarks on the wolves, it seems the dogs have been caged and used for this specific attack. “This is not how feral dogs are supposed to act!”
I twinge of fear shivers up my spine as the scepter man holds a rifle down to my chest. “REPENT, OR DIE AND FEED THE APOCOLYPSE.” I ignore him again, hoping to confuse him enough to leave me alone. It doesn’t work. A burning hot pain hits my shoulder as I fall over, feigning death. As I fall, I hear the dogs run off behind me, towards the gymnasium. Good. I want them away from here. Just a few seconds pass of my holding my breath before a steal toed boot smashes into my gut, forcing all the air I had just saved up out of me. Masquerade is over. He picks me up off the blood soaked ground and breaths into my face. His breath was apocalypticly horrifying on its own. “Repent..?” He asks once again, as if amused.
“Fine. I give up. I repent.” It’s done now, isn’t it? I stalled them, didn’t I? I succeeded. He passes me off to his two lackeys. They spout questions at me, but I fake amnesia. Maybe my bluff will pass off this time. They roughly drag me off, leaving their leader to go after my party. I pray for their safety, in hopes that they might have better luck than me.
At least their last memory of me will be a good one. Time will only tell if I make it out alive.
I had hardly caught my breath before the ear shattering explosion took it away again. I fall to the floor, covering my ears as an attempt to pull myself away from this reality. The disheveled bookshelf that hid my face reeked of some unfamiliar smell, which was soon covered with the heavy smoke expelled from the blast. I hear the screams and shouts of exclamation among the footfalls that race for the door. I have no idea why they’d want to run straight into danger. Whatever; if they want to meet death so badly, by all means. I keep to my bookshelf. I am too close to finding something about Calvin; there’s no way I’m leaving now. Just as I try to think of a way to escape, I hear barking and snarling. I tear myself away from my cowardice and stand on my feeble legs. Something compels me to run for the door. The voices of the guards are drowned in my pulse in my head.
The hallway is long and cold. When I finally reached the end of it, I stare down two skin-and-bones wolves continue to attack Malik, who appears to already be dead. Robert and Ian were frantic as they looked to each other for advice. I break the mood into a million pieces as a smile breaks it’s way onto my blistered face.
“Puppies!” The smile dampens down to a smirk as I bend down next to the bloodied corpse of Malik, the poor man. I pull some bacon and jerky out of my pack and hold it out to the skinny dogs.
“They’re just hungry…they’re scared…” tears fill my eyes as I sense the pain these animals have been put through.
I had a dog once. I loved it. It’s not fair, this world. Humans can do what they need to in order to survive. Lie, cheat, steal; animals? Not so much. They shouldn’t have to be punished for this filthy world. All they know is hostility. My two teammates and one of the guards were baffled that my little charisma trick worked. I smiled, content with my success. Finally, my team would see how useful I can really be.
“What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!” The guard screams at me. That’s okay. My kindnesses for these dogs are misunderstood and stupid to some. But I need this.
I look back at Robert and declare loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to startle my new companions, “Don’t…don’t shoot the dogs. I’m handling this. Please.” As I pay all attention to the dogs, I hear my party take off behind me, leaving me alone. A necessary sacrifice I think to myself, I’ll stall them, give them a head start.
I pull the rest of my jerky out and place it in a pile in front of the dogs as four heavily armed men storm their way into the building. “REPENT, OR DIE.” One with a scepter proclaims to me. Ignoring him, I pick ticks and burrs out of the dogs’ fur. Another one remarks on the wolves, it seems the dogs have been caged and used for this specific attack. “This is not how feral dogs are supposed to act!”
I twinge of fear shivers up my spine as the scepter man holds a rifle down to my chest. “REPENT, OR DIE AND FEED THE APOCOLYPSE.” I ignore him again, hoping to confuse him enough to leave me alone. It doesn’t work. A burning hot pain hits my shoulder as I fall over, feigning death. As I fall, I hear the dogs run off behind me, towards the gymnasium. Good. I want them away from here. Just a few seconds pass of my holding my breath before a steal toed boot smashes into my gut, forcing all the air I had just saved up out of me. Masquerade is over. He picks me up off the blood soaked ground and breaths into my face. His breath was apocalypticly horrifying on its own. “Repent..?” He asks once again, as if amused.
“Fine. I give up. I repent.” It’s done now, isn’t it? I stalled them, didn’t I? I succeeded. He passes me off to his two lackeys. They spout questions at me, but I fake amnesia. Maybe my bluff will pass off this time. They roughly drag me off, leaving their leader to go after my party. I pray for their safety, in hopes that they might have better luck than me.
At least their last memory of me will be a good one. Time will only tell if I make it out alive.
Calvin…